


Changing Fate

by YoursAlways



Category: Big Hero 6 (2014), InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: F/M, Family, Friendship, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-08
Updated: 2015-12-08
Packaged: 2018-05-05 17:20:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5384024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YoursAlways/pseuds/YoursAlways
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>To help millions, Kagome used her only shot at getting back to the past to save Tadashi Hamada from the fire that took his life. Now that he's back, alive and well, two years after the fire, he's curious about the woman who saved him. A story of acquaintances becoming friends and maybe something more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own neither Inuyasha nor Big Hero 6 and make no money from these writings.

======================

Changing Fate

Chapter One

Kagome went over her notes and calculations one last time as she made sure all of the settings on the machine in front of her were exactly as they should be. Entering in the numbers and coordinates that she wanted, she hesitated for a moment when the control screen asked if she wanted to execute the command. She took a deep breath before exhaling slowly. This was the big moment. Years of research, development, and manual labor had lead to this one moment. Well, not this moment exactly, but it was close enough.

After the well closed and shut her off from the past, she’d naturally been depressed about losing such a large part of her life. It was only an offhanded comment by her brother that been meant as a joke that had set her down this path. _“Too bad you don’t have a time machine, huh?”_

She hadn’t taken him seriously at first, of course. But the more she thought about it, the more she couldn’t seem to get it out of her head. It had started as a small curiosity, but looking up different theories about the science and possibility of time travel had lead to her drowning herself in science for the rest of her middle and high school careers. She’d never been that interested in her science classes before, but once she _cared_ about it, she discovered that she was actually very good at it. Different fields of science came to her very naturally and she excelled. And that was how she’d gotten her chance.

Moving to San Fransokyo and attending the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology on a scholarship had opened up new doors for her. Since the research she was most interested in was often dismissed as a science fiction dream, she applied her major elsewhere in biochemistry. Not that it stopped her from minoring in theoretical physics. Her biochem work with bioluminescence and natural forms of renewable energy actually had a lot of applications and she’d made a small name for herself while collecting a couple of different grants along the way. With what her main research yielded, she copyrighted a few things, selling some, keeping others, and had established a decent income for herself. That was when she really got to work.

She’d been researching and designing a functional time machine for years. There had been lots of tweaking along the way as she ran the numbers again and again and made things more efficient, but she’d quietly gathered the parts that she needed and began to assemble her greatest work in the garage of the small home she rented. It had been a lot of work and there were definitely times that she wanted to quit, but she kept going with the thought that she’d one day get to be where and when she really wanted, the place she felt she was meant to be.

But then things changed. There had been a fire in the Exposition Hall, and the explosion it caused had killed someone. She’d only met him a couple of times, had a few brief conversations here and there, but Tadashi Hamada had been a good man. She’d even helped him develop some ointments and sprays for Baymax that would have a longer lives before expiring and needing to be replaced. Of course that had been part of a trade off for a few spare parts she needed from his lab. But it was plain to see that he had a bright future and that he would help a lot of people in his life. His death had been a tragedy in many ways.

She’d never actually met his younger brother Hiro and she only knew his friends from the lab in passing, but it was clear just how much his death affected them. But then the craziest thing happened. A group of superheroes had risen, and their descriptions fit Hiro and the robotics group a little too well to be coincidence. This team had done a lot of good in the two years since Tadashi’s death, so in an indirect way, he was causing good from beyond the grave.

But how much better could the world be, how many people would be benefited, if Tadashi Hamada was still alive? It was only after much internal debate that her sense for the greater good won out, and she started making alterations to her original plans.

She watched the videos taken of the Exposition Hall fire over and over. The time the fire started. The area of origin. Areas that had gone mostly unaffected until the explosion. Time between Tadashi entering the building and the explosion were measured down the the exact second. Her coordinates were precise. Her timing would _hopefully_ be perfect. If everything went smoothly, she should pop into the past for a few brief seconds before she was pulled back to the present. Those few seconds were all she would have. Aside from the small window of time that Tadashi was in the building and alive, the power that her machine was going to use to transport her there and back was massive, and the power source would only last for so long.

Checking herself over one last time, Kagome was satisfied. Her hair was up so that it wouldn’t get caught in the fire. Her clothes had been soaked in a fire retardant solution. She had on a mask to keep smoke inhalation to a minimum. She knew the rough distance between where she’d be deposited and where Tadashi would enter the building. All she needed to do was tell her invention to carry out its function and she should be back with the other inventor in no time. As her finger hovered over the key she needed to press, she wondered deep down why relying on her own calculations and knowledge to travel through time was so much harder than relying on magic that she didn’t understand at all.

Worst case scenario, the machine would fail halfway through her trip and she’d be caught in the blast as well. Eyes cutting over to her work table, she saw the letter left for whoever might come to check on where she’d gone. Kagome shook her head. She couldn’t afford to think like that. She’d put too much time into this. She knew that she’d done everything right. It would work. It had to. Before anymore doubt could creep into her heart, she hit the button and felt a violent pull through space and time before she was stumbling to her hands and knees surrounded by suffocating heat.

Part of her wanted to celebrate her success, but she knew that she didn’t have time. Squinting her eyes against the heat and smoke, Kagome stood while gathering her bearings and located the entrance. That was where she saw Tadashi. He was trying to find his way through the flames towards his professor, covering his face with his sleeve and coughing the whole way. Taking action, Kagome sprinted towards the man, avoiding flaming displays and debris along the way. She was almost to him when her watch started beeping and she knew her time was almost up. Pushing all of her strength into her last few steps, she tackled Tadashi, wrapping her arms around his waist, before she felt another violent pull that was this time accompanied by a deafening boom.

She and Tadashi came crashing into a pile on her concrete garage floor before sliding into a table. Unfortunately, some of the air and flames from the explosion had been pulled with them on the return trip and had caught part of her work space on fire.

“No!” Kagome cried as she scrambled to her feet and grabbed a nearby fire extinguisher. It wasn’t hard to put out the flames before too much damage was done - thank the gods for renters insurance, not that she knew how she’d explain this for a claim - and she was finally able to let her success sink in. “I did it,” she mumbled as she sank to her knees slightly breathless.

A groan from the other side of the room brought her back to the situation and she hurried over to Tadashi’s side. Reaching out with a tentative hand, she touched his arm to make sure that he was really actually there. When he looked up at her in a daze, it took him a few moments to take in his new environment. His reaction of panic was unexpected but understandable.

“Where am I?” Tadashi demanded looking around the unfamiliar surroundings. His mind was racing as questions continued to spill out. “What happened? Who are you? Where’s the hall and the fire? What about Dr. Callaghan? Hiro? Where’s Hiro? Is he okay?”

Quickly uncovering hair and taking it down while taking off the mask that covered half of her face, Kagome looked Tadashi in the eye and took a moment to revel in the fact that she’d actually been successful. “Hi, Tadashi.”

Tadashi was quiet for a few seconds before he asked, “Kagome?” He didn’t know her well, mostly from their interactions about her help with Baymax, but he knew her face well enough to recognize her. “ _What happened?_ ” He asked again in a strained voice. His mind was reeling for any possible answers or explanations and he was only drawing a blank. It wasn’t a feeling he liked.

Kagome took a breath to explain only to stop and bite her lip. “This...is going to take some explaining.” Looking him over with a more examining eye, she noticed that he had a burn along one arm where his jacket had caught fire for a moment. He likely wasn’t feeling it yet due to adrenaline, but that would be wearing off soon. “Here,” she said as she pushed herself to her feet and held out her hand to help him stand. “Let’s go inside and do something about your burns. I’ll explain while we do that.”

Obviously wary of the strange events, Tadashi’s motions were hesitant, but he eventually stood and followed Kagome through a small side door that lead straight into her kitchen. He watched as Kagome grabbed a stool and placed it in front of her sink. She ran some water until she was satisfied with the temperature and plugged the sink to let it fill.

“Take off your jacket, sit down, and put your arm in there,” she instructed. “All in all, you could be a lot worse off.”

Tadashi was about to ask what she was doing when he noticed the pain in his arm. Looking down, he saw that he did indeed have a burn that needed to be treated.

“Just let the sink fill for a minute and turn it off,” Kagome told him. “I’ll be right back, okay?” With that she disappeared up a set of stairs that lead to her bedroom on the second floor. Her clothes were dirty and stiff and she needed to get out of them and grab some spare clothes that would hopefully fit Tadashi. It was a good thing that she liked her sweats so baggy.

Waiting not-so-patiently, Tadashi had just turned off the water when he heard Kagome coming back down the steps. He watched her, waiting for any sort of explanation, as she spread a few first aid supplies out on the kitchen table and plopped down in a seat. Rubbing her face, she seemed worn out, but he wasn’t going to let this drop until he understood what was going on. “Are you going to answer my questions now?”

“Yes,” Kagome said with a deep sigh. “I really wish I had planned out this conversation beforehand, though.” Taking a few seconds to get her thoughts in order, she began, “Well, first off, you’re at my house, and the Exposition Hall was destroyed in an explosion.”

“No,” Tadashi shook his head slowly. “I was just there. How did I get here?”

Kagome’s nervousness spread across her face. How would he take this news? Would he even believe her? “Um...I really don’t know a better way to say this, but the fire in the hall happened two years ago. I’ve been working on a time machine for a while and once it was ready, I used it to go back to the night of the fire and get you.” Pausing, she hesitated before telling him, “Tadashi, you never made it out of that fire. Here, in this world, this timeline, you’ve been dead for the last two years.”

It felt like his heart had stopped cold in his chest. Almost falling off of his stool as his world tilted for a moment, Tadashi took a few deep breaths before looking at Kagome again and saying the only word his mind could conjure up at the moment. “What?”


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own neither Inuyasha nor Big Hero 6 and make no money from these writings.

======================

Changing Fate

Chapter Two

“What?” Tadashi asked disbelieving. Wincing slightly as he lifted his arm out of the cool water, he scrubbed both hands over his face and tried to make sense of his night. “This has to be a joke. I don’t know how or why, but this is just some kind of weird joke, right?” With a forced chuckle, he looked up at where Kagome sat at her kitchen table. Her expression, a mix of sad and worried, made his stomach clench. “Please tell me this is a joke.”

“I’m sorry,” Kagome said in a soft voice. This really wasn’t what she’d expected at all. Honestly, she wasn’t completely sure what she’d expected to happen. Him thanking her and being on his way back to his life? _‘I really didn’t think this through enough,’_ she realized. “This isn’t a joke, though.”

Tadashi watched her stand up, grabbing some gauze and a towel from the table of supplies as she made her way over to him. Taking his arm quietly, she gently patted it dry without looking him in the eye at all before wrapping it loosely in a clean bandage. “You have to know how this sounds, right?” He asked, trying not to sound as panicked as he felt on the inside. “I mean, time travel? It’s just a theory. It’s just not...it’s not possible. And even if it was, why _me_? We barely even know each other.”

“I didn’t build it for you,” Kagome confessed in a tired voice. Now that the rush that had come with a successful trip to the past and bringing back Tadashi was wearing off, she felt run-down and the full weight of her actions were starting to press down on her. Leaving his side, she continued to talk as she walked into the nearby living room to retrieve something, “Look, since I probably won’t be able to convince you like this, see for yourself.” When she came back, she placed a laptop on the kitchen table, opened it, logged on, and opened an internet browser. “Go to any site you want. Look at the news. Check dates. You can probably pull up your own obituary if you go back far enough and have a really morbid curiosity.” When he didn’t move from his stool by the sink, she sighed and said, “Just... _please_ don’t contact anyone yet, okay? I, uh...I need a little time to think. I’ll be in the garage if you need anything, so just take your time.”

When the door to the garage close behind Kagome, Tadashi made his way towards her computer and began poking around. The first thing he checked was the website for a national news station. Finding the date, his eyes widened. It was two years and a few months past Hiro’s student exhibition. Quickly opening a new tab, he searched _SFIT hall fire_. Several articles came up and he picked the one at the top of the list. Reading through the article, dated two years and some odd months ago, it described a fire that’s origin was still under investigation. The hall was destroyed and two casualties were reported; Robert Callaghan and Tadashi Hamada.

Tadashi pushed the laptop away with a start. No. This could all still be some elaborate, morbid prank. Walking through the small house, he looked at all the little details for clues. Magazines, newspapers, TV channels, calendars, expiration dates on food in the kitchen. When he finally sat back down in front of the laptop and watched the bubbles of the screensaver, he admitted to himself that if this was a prank, it was a very detailed one.

Pulling the laptop towards him once more, he opened another tab and went to the site for a local newspaper. In the search bar, he typed in _Tadashi Hamada_. Sure enough, there was an article about the fire and a short obituary. He was almost hesitant in his next search, but knew that it couldn’t have been too bad since he and Callaghan were the only reported deaths. _Hiro Hamada_. What came up was more than he could have expected. Article after article about the young robotics prodigy of SFIT and the strides and contributions he’d been making to the robotics field. Tadashi couldn’t help the proud smile that broke out across his face as he read about his little brother. 

And then he came across a recent article with a picture. There was Hiro standing next to some invention Tadashi couldn’t even read about because he couldn’t tear his eyes away from a familiar yet strange face. Those eyes, that cocky smile, the little gap between his front teeth. It was definitely Hiro, but not the one he knew. This Hiro was a good bit taller, a little more filled out, and had longer hair that was only partially pulled back into a short ponytail. Tadashi covered his mouth with one hand as the other reached out to touch the screen. Had it really been two years?

Jumping slightly at a loud _clang_ that came from the garage followed by some yelling in what he vaguely recognized as Japanese, Tadashi closed the laptop before slowly making his way to the door. When he stepped into the garage, he saw Kagome bent over what he assumed to be the console of the time machine, head resting on folded arms. She kicked the machine once more with an aggravated noise before sliding down to her knees.

From her spot sitting on the floor, Kagome tapped her forehead against the edge of the console over and over as she suppressed the urge to cry. The fire that had come through from the blast had damaged a good deal of the machine. Scorched surfaces, melted controls, cracked screens. That was bad enough. But it appeared that the power cell had completely shorted out returning her and Tadashi to the present. Not only was the internal wiring shot, but a lot of it was a melted mess from the heat that the the thing had put off. If she had expected that, she would have insulated the power cell better. No...she should have done it anyway out of precaution, but she hadn’t. As it was, most of her invention had been reduced to scrap metal. More than half of it would need to be replaced if she ever wanted it to work again, and with the exception of some of the outer casing, she’d be better off just starting from scratch.

But this one had taken so long. Sure, she already had the blueprints and schematics for everything this time around, but gathering the parts would take time without looking suspicious and drawing attention. _‘Maybe it’s for the best,’_ her mind supplied. Did the world need time travel technology? If she had gone back to the past and just left it, what would people do with her notes? How many people would actually use it responsibly and not change major world events? _‘Am I really so different, though?’_ She’d thought she was. She didn’t think that Tadashi coming back would be such a terrible thing. Any good that his death triggered had been in effect for years now and wasn’t likely to stop just because he came back. He was just one guy. Him living again wasn’t going to change the course of the world. At least, she didn’t _think_ it would.

Looking up at the sound of approaching footsteps, she looked up and saw Tadashi before returning her head to resting against her ruined time machine. “I’m so stupid,” she said without really addressing her houseguest.

Tadashi was at a loss for words as he moved to look at the slightly blackened console that Kagome was resting on. “Is this really a time machine?”

“It was,” Kagome sighed before pushing herself away from it to sit back on her butt and stare at it. “It’s pretty much junk now.”

Taking a seat on the floor a couple of feet from Kagome, Tadashi looked between the machine and her. “I looked up a few things online,” he told her.

“And?” She asked with a sad smile. “Do you believe me now?”

“I think I’m getting there,” Tadashi answered with an unsure grin of his own.

“Again, I’m...I’m sorry,” Kagome apologized. “I really didn’t think about the effect this might have on you personally.” But why hadn’t she? Kagome knew firsthand what it felt like to suddenly and unexpectedly be pulled through time. It was disorienting and scary and almost too much to believe. But she’d forgotten that. It had become such a large and almost normal part of her life that she’d completely forgotten about the initial confusion and fear during her first trip to the past.

Watching her carefully, Tadashi took a breath to calm his nerves before saying, “Knowing that I’m alive when I should be dead is a little...weird. But I don’t understand.” At Kagome’s questioning look, he asked, “Why did you save me?” After a beat that she didn’t use to answer him, he continued, “You said that you didn’t build this for me. What did you build it for? Why did you use it to save me instead? Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful - I think - but I don’t get it. We barely know each other. I don’t even remember your last name. We only talked a handful of times about our lab work. Why save someone you don’t even know?”

Kagome thought about how to answer for several long moments before speaking slowly, “It’s a little hard to explain. But I guess the simplest version is that I thought you still had work to do here.” At Tadashi’s confused look, she tried to elaborate. “You know how sometimes you look at someone and you just _know_ that they’re going to do great things? That’s the feeling I got from you. I didn’t know you well, but I knew your work. I saw what you were doing and what you were capable of. And you don’t seem like the kind of person that would stop after one accomplishment. You did something _amazing_ with inventing Baymax. I couldn’t help but think about what else you would have done with a longer life.” Pausing to think about the original reason she’d developed a working time machine, she laughed a little as she sank her face into her hands. “Compared to that, it seemed wrong somehow to do whatever I wanted. It seemed wrong to waste that much potential when I was the only person with the ability to save it. So I took a risk and bet everything on saving you so that you could keep doing great things for people.” She gestured towards what would likely be her greatest accomplishment and added, “It was win-lose in the end. I was able to save you, but my time machine is completely busted.”

“Can you fix it?” Tadashi asked taking a slightly closer look at the controls and exposed wiring. He was happy to be alive, but it was a little sad that this woman he barely knew had sacrificed what had to have been a lot of work for him.

“I can rebuild it,” Kagome corrected with a resigned shrug. “But after tonight, I don’t really know if I should. It would take years and I’d be a good bit older than I’d ever planned on being for the trip. Plus, I don’t think I want anyone else getting their hands on this after I’m gone. It’s probably best to just...let it be.”

“Are you crazy?” The slightly incredulous question came out before Tadashi could really stop it. “I mean...I...you built a _time machine_. Do you know what this means for science? This is a huge deal.”

“You know what a paradox is, right?” Kagome asked as she watched Tadashi’s shocked expression melt away into one dawning understanding. “I brought back one person. Someone who hadn’t been dead that long in the grand scheme of things. I didn’t go back and assassinate any dictators or give advice to future revolutionaries or leaders. I don’t _think_ changing your fate will have any massive and horrible consequences. But I can’t say the same for other people. How many people would use something like this for revenge or to change anything bad that ever happened to them? I think it might be better to stop while I’m ahead and be content in the knowledge that I was able to do it at all.” Kagome could feel a few tears building up in her eyes and tried to blink them back. “Well, the content part might take a little while, but I’ll get there.”

Things were quiet between them for several minutes as they sat on the floor of Kagome’s dimly lit garage. Finally, it was Tadashi that spoke up in a quiet voice. “What now?”

“I don’t really know,” Kagome admitted with a laugh. “Funny enough, I didn’t really think this far ahead. That’s probably one more thing to be sorry for.”

Tadashi smiled in an attempt to make her feel better. Sure, things were confusing and probably weren’t going to smooth anytime soon, but he really was glad to be alive. There was just one big question weighing on his mind. “How do I tell my brother...my aunt...my friends that I’m alive?”

Kagome shrugged. “I have no idea. That’s probably going to be a little…” She gestured with her hands for a while looking for a while trying to find the right word but eventually gave up and offered another small shrug. “But I’ll help you if you want.”

“That would actually be kinda nice,” he told her. “I’ll probably need the help.

Smiling softly, Kagome leaned across the gap between them and extended her right hand. “My last name is Higurashi, by the way. Kagome Higurashi.”

A small amount of air blew from Tadashi’s nose in amusement before he also leaned forward and shook her right hand with his. “It’s nice to officially meet you.”


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own neither Inuyasha nor Big Hero 6 and make no money from these writings.

======================

Changing Fate

Chapter Three

Knocking gently on the bathroom door, Kagome called out, “The pizza’s here.”

“Ah, okay. Thanks,” Tadashi answered as he unwound the cling wrap from his arm. With ash and smoke clinging to his skin and clothes, he’d really needed a bath, but exposing his fresh burn to hot water hadn’t seemed like a great idea.

Looking around the small, steam-filled bathroom, he was once again hit by just how strange the whole situation was for him. Even taking the time travel and being saved from death out of the equation, he was standing in nothing but a towel in the bathroom of a woman he likely wouldn’t have been able to pick out of a crowd twenty-four hours ago. It might not seem so strange if he’d been a different kind of guy, but he’d never dated much, let alone been in such a state of undress in the home of someone he barely knew. The thought made him blush a little, but he couldn’t help it. Most of his time while growing up had been dedicated either to studying or trying to be there for Hiro in place of their parents. He could count the number of girlfriends he’d had on one hand.

“Argh, stop it,” he grumbled to himself while scrubbing his hair with a towel. Grabbing up the pair of sweatpants that Kagome had given him, he quickly slid them on. His embarrassment was getting to him. “She’s just being nice.” His hand slid over his still slightly sore ribs where she’d tackled him and he amended, “ _Very_ nice.”

In the kitchen, Kagome pulled out plates and cups before flipping open the pizza box. It was lucky that they’d both been able to agree on pepperoni. Some people got very intense about their pizza toppings. Looking around for something else to do, she realized they would need napkins. She really just wanted to do something to keep busy and not think about her decision to let Tadashi stay at her place for the night. Because, sure, she could have offered to put him up in a hotel, but it seemed like a cold thing to do. He was still adjusting to the idea of being alive two years in the future, and that was due to her actions. The least she could do was be there for him until he was back with his family.

When she heard the door to the small guest bathroom open down the hall, she looked up from putting their napkins by their plates and had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Tadashi was almost a foot taller than she was, so even the largest clothes that she had on hand were on the small side. “And that’s _another_ thing I’m sorry about,” Kagome apologized with a sheepish smile. “I probably could have planned ahead for this better. I got the math and everything right, but I guess the more practical things completely slipped my mind,” she admitted. “On the plus side, it looked like only your jacket was burned, so the rest of your clothes are in the washer.”

“Yeah, that’s something,” Tadashi agreed as he sat down at the small table in the kitchen. “And thanks. Y’know, for everything.”

Kagome was able to genuinely smile at that. She supposed that everything was starting to really sink in with Tadashi now, because that was the first time he’d thanked her since she dragged him through time. “You’re welcome,” she said sincerely. Taking the seat next to him, she continued, “But you might not want to thank me just yet. You’re alive but things are probably going to get a little complicated. Oh! Drinks. I forgot drinks. What do you want?”

“Water’s fine,” Tadashi answered not wanting to be a bother. “And what do you mean about things getting complicated?”

Filling their cups with ice, Kagome grabbed two bottles of water from the top of her refrigerator and sat back down at the table. “Think about it,” she told him as she twisted the cap off of her bottle. “You’re essentially back from the dead. You’re going to have to reestablish your identity. Prove that you really are Tadashi Hamada. Do something about your death certificate...can those even be voided? What about anything you owned? Did you have an apartment or anything?”

“No,” Tadashi shook his head as he pulled two slices of pizza from the box to put on his plate. “I lived with my aunt and brother. And there’s always genetic testing, so I should be able to figure _something_ out.” He was quiet for a minute as he watched Kagome get a single slice of pizza. Another moment of strange realization washed over him. He was having dinner with Kagome, wearing her clothes, and talking with her like he’d known her for much longer than he actually had. Though, when someone travels through time to pull you from a fiery death, how shy could you really be around them. It was probably...no, it was definitely the strangest bond he’d ever felt with someone. But Kagome, nervous as he could tell she was, had been nothing but hospitable towards him. Offered him a place to stay and get cleaned up, clothes to wear, food to eat. She was trying to make things seem as normal for him as possible, and he appreciated that. Even if he was still a little freaked out about the whole situation.

“There’s one more thing,” Kagome said softly, interrupting his thoughts.

“What’s that?”

She paused before telling him frankly, “You could become a lab rat. We both could.” She watched him frown before explaining, “People are going to want to know how you’re alive. There was no plausible way for you to survive that fire. We’ll need some sort of explanation, and if it has to be the truth, there are going to be a lot of questions.” Kagome sat in silence for a moment as she thought about what this might mean for her. She’d never intended to be around when word about her time traveling got out, but things were different now. She’d already decided that she didn’t want anyone else to get their hands on her designs. She refused to be responsible for the disaster that could bring. So she already knew that she was going to burn her notes and dismantle her machine. She would get rid of the parts all over the city. Get what she could melted down, give away and recycle what was salvageable, and throw the rest in the various dumpsters. The thought of it hurt, because that project, that machine, had been her life for so many years. But it was for the best.

“What’ll you do if people start asking about your time machine?” Tadashi asked as he took a bite of pizza.

With a sigh, Kagome shrugged. “I’ll tell them ‘too bad’ because I’m getting rid of it. I’m not going to let it be recreated for other people to use.”

“You know that it could make you famous, right?” He asked. “You would go down in history, be in textbooks, talked about in lectures forever.”

“I didn’t build it for the fame or recognition,” Kagome said a bit defensively before softening her tone some. “I had a personal reason for building it, but I guess it’s time for me to finally start letting it go and get on with the present.”

Tadashi was curious about her reason for going through all the trouble of building a functional time machine, but he supposed if she wanted to explain it, she would have. “So you’re just going to keep all of that information to yourself?”

“That’s right,” Kagome smiled at him wearily. “Nobody can _force_ me to tell them how I did it. Most people probably won’t even believe me since I won’t produce how I did it, but I don’t mind. Best case scenario, enough people will think it’s a joke that it won’t be talked about seriously for too long and we can both get on with our lives.” She said that, but she didn’t believe it. With proof like a living person who had certainly died, it would be hard to dismiss this as a joke or a hoax. But she would just have to cross that bridge when she came to it. “Well,” Kagome said as she picked up her slice of pizza again. “I think that’s enough about the serious stuff for now. So do you have any idea of how you want to tell your family that you’re alive?”

“I’ve been thinking about it,” Tadashi confirmed as he poured more water into his cup from the bottle. “I thought I could go to the bakery in the morning before Aunt Cass opens up. I don’t want to wait any longer than I have to, but I don’t want to cause a scene by walking into a full cafe.”

“That’s fine with me if that’s what you want to do,” Kagome nodded in agreement. “I can drive you there, if you want. That way you can avoid walking down the street or public transportation.”

Tadashi nodded but quiet for a long moment before saying, “There’s something else I’ve been thinking about.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah…” Looking Kagome in the eye, he asked, “Why did you save me instead of Professor Callaghan? You said something about thinking I’ll accomplish things in the future, but he was already a lot more accomplished than me. He probably had a lot more to offer too.”

Kagome stared at Tadashi, blinking in surprise at the question. “Ohhh, that’s right,” she breathed as it finally hit her. “You wouldn’t know, would you? Robert Callaghan isn’t dead. He’s in prison.”

Tadashi almost choked on air before asking in shock, “What?! Why? That article I found said that both of us died.”

“Everyone thought you did,” Kagome explained. “But he used your brother’s microbots to protect himself.”

“So why is he in prison?” Tadashi still couldn’t believe that his mentor was behind bars. What could he have possibly done?

“Kind of a lot, actually,” Kagome hedged. “Destruction of public and private property, theft, attempted murder...You can probably read more about it online.”

The rest of their dinner conversation was kept to light and superficial things since it had been a long night for both of them and neither thought they could handle much more heavy thinking or shock. Once the leftover pizza was in the fridge and their plates were cleaned and put away, Kagome got Tadashi set up in her guest room and let him borrow her laptop in case he wanted to look into Callaghan or anything else.

“I’m right upstairs if you need anything,” Kagome told him seriously from the guest room’s doorway. “So don’t hesitate to wake me up, okay?”

“Thanks,” Tadashi nodded as he sat down on the edge of the bed. “I think I’ll be okay though.”

“Alright,” Kagome conceded. “Well, goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” Tadashi watched as she closed the bedroom door behind her and could hear her walk up the slightly creaky stairs. Leaning back against the pillows and headboard, he pulled Kagome’s laptop into his lap and started a few searches. He had to know what happened to the older man. Some articles and videos from news coverage slowly unfolded roughly what had happened. What had been most surprising was that he’d been stopped by a team of what could only be called superheroes. He clicked through a few pictures that he found of the group, but stopped on one in particular. It was a motion shot, but it was fairly close up. He stared closely at the visor of the largest member in red. Behind that tempered glass was the simplistic design of a very familiar if slightly blurry face. “Baymax?” He whispered into the room. Just what in the world had been going on since that fire?


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I own neither Inuyasha nor Big Hero 6 and make no money from these writings.

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Changing Fate

Chapter Four

Waking up to the smell of food, Tadashi almost thought that he was home, but that illusion was dispelled when he opened his eyes and saw a room that was very much not his. _‘What?’_ As he gradually woke up and shook off the haze of sleep, he began to remember exactly what had happened the night before. Sitting up in the bed quickly, he took in his surroundings with a clearer mind. This wasn’t his house. This wasn’t his bed. These weren’t his clothes. _‘No way...’_ That crazy night hadn’t been a dream?

After straightening his bed as best he could and making his way to the bedroom door, he poked his head out and heard who he assumed was Kagome moving around in the kitchen. It was when he stepped into the hall to go to the bathroom that he noticed a kitchen stool by the bathroom door with his clothes folded in a neat pile on top. Very eager to get back into clothes that actually fit, Tadashi gathered up the pile and stepped into the bathroom to find another pleasant surprise. Along the edge of the sink was a comb, an unopened toothbrush which looked like the kind one usually got at the dentist, toothpaste, a pink disposable razor, and some shaving cream.

Several minutes later, Tadashi emerged from the bathroom feeling much more refreshed and trying to ignore the fact that his face smelled faintly of strawberries. It was all still incredibly surreal. Traveling two years into the future but still going about a normal morning routine like it was any other day. But then he supposed that it was the little normal things that were keeping him from really freaking out. It brought a sense of stability to what was going on, and Tadashi would take what he could get until he fully adjusted to the idea of evading death and traveling through time.

As he stepped into the kitchen, he saw Kagome standing at the stove cooking something. “Good morning,” he said as he walked around the kitchen table and Kagome responded in kind. Curious, it wasn’t hard to glance over her shoulder and see that she was using a long pair of cooking chopsticks to make a rolled omelette. It caught him a little off guard. Sitting down at the table, he continued to watch her. He’d seen a few people use chopsticks to cook, but not with the dexterity and practiced ease that Kagome had. As she reached for different things and moved while humming under her breath, it was obvious that she was doing most of this from muscle memory.

Looking around the kitchen, Tadashi began to notice other things that pointed towards something very obvious. Little decorations, utensils, even some of the food on the table. There were very traditional Japanese influences everywhere. Sure, San Fransokyo had a lot of heavy Japanese influences, entire districts in some areas, but the city and its inhabitants were all still very Americanized. And though she was fluent, Kagome had a noticeable accent on some of her words and pronunciations. Tadashi wanted to ask about it, but he wasn’t sure if she would think it rude.

Kagome plated the omelette and sliced it before bringing it to the table to set it with the rest of the food she’d prepared. Glancing down at the mix of different foods, she explained, “I didn’t know what you like for breakfast, but I just can’t give up some staples. Is there something else you’d like?” Thinking as she looked over the rice and miso soup and omelette along with the fruit and bacon, she offered, “I there are some toaster waffles in the freezer?”

“No, this is great,” Tadashi told her with a thankful smile. “Thanks. You didn’t even need to do this much.”

Shrugging, Kagome waved off his concern and said, “Breakfast is important. Besides, I think we both have long days ahead of us. Hey, what do you want to drink? I have milk, water, tea, maybe some juice…”

Over the years, Tadashi had gotten used to coffee waking him up, but since it didn’t seem like an option, he questioned, “Orange juice?”

“Mmmm,” Kagome hummed in thought as she checked the fridge and responded, “nope. Is apple okay?” At Tadashi’s nod, she grabbed the bottle and poured a glasses for both of them. “Last question,” she told him as she walked over to a drawer. “Fork or chopsticks?”

“Ah, fork please,” Tadashi answered a little embarrassed. It wasn’t that he couldn’t use chopsticks. He could get by, he just wasn’t very good at it. When Kagome finally came back to the table and sat down while folding one leg underneath her, Tadashi watched her as she deftly used her chopsticks to eat as easily as she’d cooked. “So,” he began as he pierced a strawberry with his fork. “You seem pretty used to making a traditional breakfast.”

Kagome lifted an eyebrow at the hesitant inflections in Tadashi’s statement. She was pretty sure what he wanted to ask, but decided to beat around the bush a little more. “It’s what I grew up with, and I used to help my mom cook. I’ve had a lot of practice.”

Tadashi nodded. He still didn’t want to just outright ask, but he wasn’t sure how else to go about it. _‘Does it even really matter?’_ Well, no, it didn’t. But now that he’d spent some actual time around Kagome, seeing what she was like as a person instead of a scientist or student, he kind of wanted to know more about her. After the previous night, it was safe to say that they were probably past the hey-can-I-use-this-thing-from-your-lab acquaintance stage.

Watching Tadashi try to come up with something else to say, Kagome continued to eat her breakfast before finally grinning and giving in. “I’m from Japan,” she confirmed. “I’m here on a visa and a scholarship.”

“Oh,” was all Tadashi could say in response. Had he been that obvious in his curiosity? “My grandparents were from Japan,” he offered.

“Have you ever been?”

“No,” Tadashi shook his head as he started relaxing into the conversation a little more. “I’d like to go someday, though.”

“You should probably learn to use chopsticks, then,” she teased as she sipped at her juice.

“I can use chopsticks,” Tadashi defended.

“You say as you eat rice with a fork.”

Looking down at the bowl and utensil in his hand, Tadashi had to concede the point this time. Deciding to change topic, he said, “You said we’d both have long days today. I know my day is gonna be rough, but what are you doing?”

“Well,” Kagome said as she reached for a piece of omelette. “I’ll take you home after breakfast, and I’ll stay if it looks like you need me to. Otherwise, I’m coming back here to break down my giant paperweight and get rid of as much of it today as possible.”

“You’re really gonna destroy it?”

“Mmhm,” Kagome hummed in resignation. She really didn’t want to, but she just had to keep telling herself that it was for the best.

“How long do you think it’ll take?”

“A few days if I work all day?” Kagome guessed. “I won’t have to be as detailed taking it apart as I was putting it together. A lot of it will just be boxed up and dropped off at different recycling centers and dumpsters. Why?”

Looking at her seriously, he still couldn’t imagine completely scrapping what had to be one of the most revolutionary inventions science had ever seen, but it was her choice. “I can try to get my family and friends to keep quiet about things so that nobody comes looking for you until you’re done.”

Surprised, Kagome stared at Tadashi for a moment before telling him in all sincerity, “Thank you.”

“Well, I do owe you a lot,” Tadashi pointed out with a light smile.

Kagome smiled in return, and they turned towards talk of Tadashi’s impending meeting with his family through the rest of breakfast. The previous night had been crazy and stressful and tense, but Kagome and Tadashi were finally starting to settle in and be a little more comfortable around each other. It wasn’t something that either of them had any complaints about.

\--------------------

“Are you ready?” Kagome asked as she and Tadashi sat in her little hatchback parked just up the street from the Lucky Cat Cafe.

Tadashi looked at the windows of the little cafe which still had the blinds down and hesitated. He thought he was ready, but he was nervous about how Hiro and Aunt Cass might react. He’d just seen them the day before, but they hadn’t seem him for two years. He could only assumed that they’d been through the mourning process. He couldn’t imagine the shock he might put them through. Taking a deep breath and breathing out slowly, Tadashi looked over at Kagome and nodded. “I think so.”

“Okay,” she answered as she took her keys out of the ignition. “Let’s go.”

They walked down the early morning sidewalk, seeing very few people outside yet. _‘Good,’_ Kagome thought. They really didn’t need anyone in the neighborhood recognizing Tadashi just yet.

Standing outside the cafe’s front door, Tadashi looked inside through the glass front and saw Cass carrying a tray of fresh muffins to the display case. He swallowed down his nerves before knocking lightly against the glass to get her attention. When she looked up at the noise and saw him, he heard the muffled version of her startled scream through the glass. It also sounded like she dropped her muffins. She was still staring at him in shock when Tadashi saw Hiro - who had to have literally jumped out of bed at hearing his aunt’s scream - stumble down the stairs to see what was wrong.

He couldn’t really hear what they were saying, but Cass pointed to the door while telling Hiro something. When Hiro turned to look at the door, Tadashi almost couldn’t breathe. How could two years change the skinny, goofy kid he knew so much. And he suddenly felt very guilty about not being there for his little brother during what he knew could be some very awkward years.

Tadashi pointed down at the door handle and watched as a very hesitant Hiro slowly approached the door and flipped the lock before backing up quickly. Opening the door and stepping inside followed by Kagome, he offered a very soft, “Hey.”

Hiro stared at him for a long moment before asking very seriously, “Who are you?”

The question hit Tadashi harder than he thought it would have, but he couldn’t blame his brother. He probably would have asked the same thing. “It’s me,” he said simply. “Tadashi.”

“No.” Hiro cut him off quickly. “You are _not_ Tadashi. Tadashi...he...Tadashi _died_ ,” Hiro choked out, old wounds being opened up at he stared down his brother that he’d lost years before. “So _who are you_?”

“It’s really me, Hiro,” Tadashi tried to keep his voice level. He could clearly see how much Hiro was hurting.

“No, you’re not,” Hiro protested, emphasizing each word. Suddenly getting an idea, Hiro said, “I’ll prove you’re lying. Baymax!” He listened for a quiet minute before sighing and rubbing a hand over his eyes. “Ow!” He called out instead, more than a little exasperation in his voice. This time a sound could be heard after a few seconds. Soft, even footsteps were coming from upstairs and as they came closer to the stairs, there was a soft squeaking with each step. Hiro groaned a little as Baymax slowly waddled its way down each step and across the cafe before finally stopping in front of Hiro.

Scanning the teenager, his spoke, “I heard you say “ow” but you do not appear to have any physical injuries. However, your heart rate is elevated. You appear to be distressed.”

“Baymax,” Hiro cut off, ignoring the robot’s analysis. “Scan him,” he ordered while pointing towards Tadashi. “Who is that?”

Moving to face Tadashi, Baymax quickly scanned him before saying, “Based on height, weight, measurements, hormone levels, and brainwave patterns, this is: Tadashi Hamada.”

Hiro stared at Tadashi, barely breathing, looking like he wanted to believe but afraid at the same time. “Are you sure? Scan him again.”

“My scanners are fully functional,” Baymax confirmed. “According to the match of my last recorded data, this is: Tadashi Hamada.”

Stepping forward, Hiro stopped about a foot away from Tadashi. He looked his older brother over and had an intense wave of deja vu. He looked exactly the same. Same face. Same eyes. Same hair. Same clothes, sans jacket, as the last time he saw him the night he ran into that stupid fire. “You’re alive?”

“Yeah.”

“And you’re okay?”

Holding up his bandaged arm, Tadashi smiled a little in an attempt to make Hiro feel better. “Mostly.”

“How?”

“It’s...kind of a long - and weird - story.” Tadashi saw Hiro’s jaw tighten and his hands ball up into fists. Tears were gathering in the teen’s eyes, and Tadashi was about to hug him when Hiro caught him completely off guard.

“What did you think you were doing?!” Hiro yelled, punching Tadashi in the shoulder. After that, he let out years of frustration and anger and sadness as he continued to yell. “What made you think that was okay? Why did you have to be so stupid?” He kept throwing punches that lost a little steam each time, ignoring Tadashi’s grunts as he blocked what he could. Finally losing the strength in his arms, he stepped closer to the brother he’d missed so much and rested his forehead against Tadashi’s shoulder. “Why-” he hiccuped, “why did you leave me?...knucklehead.”

Tadashi wrapped his arms around Hiro and held him tightly, trying to make up for his two year absence. It was only when Hiro returned the hug, gripping the back of Tadashi’s shirt like he was afraid he’d leave again, that Tadashi felt tears start to burn his eyes. Over Hiro’s head that was still buried in his shoulder, Tadashi watched as Cass, who’d been watching them with silent tears, slowly approached and touched his face, checking that he was really there and real. “Hey, Aunt Cass.”

A watery laugh slipped from her mouth before she threw her arms around both of her nephews and cried with them. She was incredibly confused, but at the moment was too caught up in happiness and relief at having her little family back together to care. She could get (demand) answers later. For now, that hug was the only thing in the world she wanted.

Largely forgotten, Kagome watched the family reunion quietly, feeling very much like an intruder. Looking around, she grabbed a napkin from a nearby table and jotted down a quick note, _This was a family moment. You guys catch up. If you need me, you can call._ Adding her phone number at the bottom, Kagome left her note on the edge of the table and quietly let herself out the front door. The only one who noticed her departure was the large, huggable robot who quietly waved goodbye.


End file.
